


(Super)hero

by TheGreatCatsby



Series: Online Fan Fic Challenges [4]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: introspective character stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 03:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/908286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatCatsby/pseuds/TheGreatCatsby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint isn't like the rest of the Avengers. He's an everyman Legolas with no special powers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Super)hero

**Author's Note:**

> For the 30 Day Au Challenge. The prompt was "superheroes" but the Avengers are already superheroes so, insert introspective Clint here.

Superhero: somebody who is extraordinary, and is a hero. Preferably someone with special powers. They might even be a god, for a given definition of god (the jury’s still out on whether Thor is actually a god or not.) 

In other words, everything that Clint Barton is not. 

When Clint thinks about the Avengers, he doesn’t think of himself as part of them. Sure, he’s on the team and he helps save the world, but the Avengers are heroes and Clint isn’t a hero. Tony has his suit, Bruce can Hulk out, Steve has super strength, and even Natasha has some weird shit going on from when she was trained to be an assassin in Russia. Thor can command lightning and isn’t actually human. 

And then there’s Clint. Sharpshooter, an everyman sort of Legolas, deadly with an arrow and anything that can be thrown. But he doesn’t have special powers. or super strength enhanced by some serum, or a genius intellect that allows for great inventions. He’s only got good aim, circus training, and the sort of smarts that come with being a secret agent. But even James Bond cocked up a bunch of his missions. 

"I’m an Avenger," he tells Kate Bishop, his very own Hawkeye-in-training over coffee, “but not an awesome one." 

She simply shrugs and says, “I’m awesome. I don’t know about you." Then, “Do you WANT to turn into a big green monster whenever you get angry or something?" 

Clint has to admit, he doesn’t. He likes his clothes intact. And his temper in check. He likes being sneaky. Hulking out tends to ruin the sneaky effect. 

While watching Tony work one day, perched on a chair that isn’t nearly as high up as he’d like, he asks, “Do you think I’m a hero?" 

"I don’t even think I’m a hero on a good day," Tony says. He screws one piece of metal into another. It looks suspiciously like a faceplate. “We’re all just people who happen to be in the best position to save the world because we can’t do anything else with what we’ve got. Well. I can. Not sure about the rest of you." 

"Lost creatures," Clint mutters, and then cringes. 

Tony turns to him. “Loki wouldn’t have chosen you as his right-hand man if you weren’t useful," he says, completely serious. “It’s tough to hear, but you’re an asset, Clint. Just because you don’t have powers or anything doesn’t mean you’re not as good as the rest of us. If that’s what, you know, you were doubting." 

Clint hates being reminded of his brief stint as Loki’s personal puppet, but he has to admit that Tony’s right. He did a lot of damage on both sides. He always does a fair amount of damage. He’s never been left to the sidelines. 

"What would we do if we weren’t playing at being superheroes?" Tony asks. He frowns and adds, “Don’t answer that, actually. You’d be working for SHIELD, still." 

"No," Clint says. “I’d be in the circus." 

Tony considers him for a moment. “I’d pay to see that." 

"I wouldn’t let you in." 

Tony smirks and turns away. 

Clint watches him work on the newest installment of the Iron Man suit and thinks that maybe Tony’s right. They’re not heroes, but they’re useful in their own way. 

He always has the circus to fall back on.


End file.
